Defense is the name of the game when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there's plenty of players that fans will want to keep an eye on during the regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
From a regressing edge rusher to a cornerback who's missed the past month with an injury, here's a look at three defensive players from the Steelers
to watch in the regular season opener versus the Falcons.T.J. Watt
There's no sugarcoating it: Watt had an extremely disappointing 2025 season. Regression appeared to set in hard as Watt also battled multiple injuries last season. Now healthy and in a new, favorable defensive scheme, can Watt bounce back? Week 1 against Atlanta will be the starting point for the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Jaquan Brisker
Brisker
was one of Pittsburgh's most exciting free agency additions this offseason, but he also missed the past several weeks of practice due to injury. He practiced on Monday and appears to be a full go for the Week 1 matchup, which is good news, as the Steelers don't have much safety depth. Brisker, when healthy, could be one of the game-changers in Pittsburgh's newly improved defensive unit.
Joey Porter Jr.
Porter missed the entirety of training camp after getting placed on the physically unable to perform list with a back injury. Porter was activated over a week ago, but he did miss significant time and could be heading into Week 1 with some rust. After practicing this week, it appears Porter will play in the regular season opener, with or without a new contract. Here's to hoping he'll be at 100%, though, considering the past month of practice he missed.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 3 defensive players to watch from Steelers' Week 1 matchup vs. Falcons
